Houston Texans Begin the Roster Trim-Down to 75 Players

If you listen carefully, that sound you hear is the sound of hundreds of NFL dreams being shattered (or at the very least, put on hold, but "put on hold" doesn't sound nearly melodramatic enough for the internet).

My co-host Ted Johnson, he of three Super Bowl rings and a decade in the NFL, was a second round draft choice of the New England Patriots in 1995, who then became a quality stalwart on their defense. So he wasn't routinely in a training camp situation in which he was in danger of being cut (although, to be fair, once you get a veteran's salary, you're always in danger of something -- pay cut, being cut, paper cut, lots of cuts). To that end, Ted has said in his time in the league, he made a point to never learn the names of rookies in camp because chances are most of them would be gone in a month.

And nobody likes emotional good byes, right?

On Monday, the Texans began the process of the tearful adieus to many of the training camp bodies that were the foundation of the waning moments of blowouts in Weeks 1 and 2 of the preseason.

Also, worth noting, the Texans sent offensive lineman David Quessenberry to the non-football injury list, as he recovers from treatment for lymphoma, a diagnosis he received back in June.

If we are looking for something noteworthy among those ten players, I would say these are your bullet points:

* This is probably the end of the line for Joe Adams, a fourth round pick just three years ago, and now unloaded before the cut from 75 down to 53 by a team that has needs in the return game and at wide receiver. Sadly, this might be the last we've seen (domestically, at least, because Adams always has Canada) of plays like this:

* However, perhaps proof of the quality bodies the Texans do have in camp at the wide receiver position is the fact that Alec Lemon is gone in the "down to 75 players" purge. As an undrafted free agent in 2013, he made the practice squad last season and was the annual "wide receiver nobody knew, but he kept making plays in camp" award winner for 2013. (Lemon took the belt from LeStar Jean, and presumably will now have to hand the belt over to Travis Labhart at the next WWE pay per view.)

* Sadly, former UH Coog David Hunter was cut from the team, however, this means he will be able to resume his daily occupation of "staying in shape for when the first interior defensive lineman on the Texans gets hurt and they need a big body with very easy travel needs."

* Lawrence Sidbury was a little surprising to see cut insomuch as he was actually showing up on the broadcast the last couple games, even getting a sack in the Atlanta game, but who knows -- on the all-22 (football term alert!) he may have looked like a distracted kindergartener chasing butterflies in the rest of the plays. i have no idea.

* Obviously, we continue to wish David Quessenberry all the prayers in the world as he battles through cancer treatments. He continues to update his Twitter followers on his fight and appears to be in great spirits:

Sean Pendergast is a contributing freelance writer who covers Houston area sports daily in the News section, with periodic columns and features, as well. He also hosts afternoon drive on SportsRadio 610, as well as the post game show for the Houston Texans.